


Keep Trying #3YearsOfMiraculous

by Conii



Series: Miraculous Anniversary [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: # 3YearsOfMiraculous, And love, F/M, Hawkdaddy, I recommend you to read that one first, LadyNoir - Freeform, MiraculousAnniversary, One Year After, One-Shot, Papapillon, Thomas Astruc - Freeform, about life, and they talk, basically Ladybug and Chat Noir have the chance to meet their creator, here we go again, it's September 1st ladies and gentlemen, jfksjdkshf omg, let's say this is a sequel, miraculousladybug, okay so this one-shot comes after Keep Dreaming, you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 14:32:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15865524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Conii/pseuds/Conii
Summary: It's September 1st, and once again Ladybug and Chat Noir find themselves in the mysterious office they visited one year ago.Versión en español aquí





	Keep Trying #3YearsOfMiraculous

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello! Welcome to the second part of my Miraculous Anniversary one-shots! The first one is called "[Keep Dreaming](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11969010)" and I posted it exactly one year ago. If you haven't read it or if you forgot it, I recommend you to read it now so you'll get all the references :) 
> 
> This part is much better in my opinion tho xd
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it! And don't forget that my native language is not english so I'm soooo sorry if I wrote something wrong. As always I did the best I could :)

When Ladybug's feet touched the shiny floor, she gasped, her blue eyes looking at her surroundings as her heartbeat became faster and faster. "This place" Chat Noir said, his cat ears twitching over his head. "I... we... how?"

"I don't know" Ladybug replied. "I didn't even remember... I just... felt the need to come".

Chat Noir turned, looking at the window they just used to enter the building, sixty feet above the city. "It's weird. I remember this, but I forgot it at the same time. It feels..."

"Like a dream".

"Yeah".

The place was the same as the last time they were there. Everything was grey, from the walls and the ceiling to the thousands and thousands of desks placed all over the office, leaving tight corridors between each of them. There was no smell, nothing that gave away the presence of human life, but Ladybug still felt a strong sense of familiarity that had her walking determined to a specific direction, Chat Noir following her close behind. They knew where to go, it was like an invisible string that pulled them towards their destiny, so sure and yet so unsure at the same time.

Suddenly, a sharp noise made her jump in surprise. She looked around to see Chat Noir bending down to pick a yellow... rubber duck?

"What is this doing here?" he asked sounding as confused as she was, squeezing the duck between his fingers.

"I don't know? Just... leave it where you found it" she replied, turning to keep walking through the corridors...

...only to be interrupted by the sight of two tiny pink shoes in the middle of the floor.

Frowning, Ladybug picked them up.

"Are those... baby shoes?" Chat Noir said.

"Judging by how small they are, yup".

"What are baby shoes doing in an office like this?"

"...the same thing this Teddy bear is doing" Ladybug said, picking up a fluffy bear that lay under a table. It was brown, a purple ribbon around its neck. "It seems like someone was here and dropped this stuff. Let's take them in case we find their owner".

It turned out that the rubber duck, the pink shoes and the Teddy bear weren't the only objects they found. Along the way they picked at least five plastic balls, wooden baby toys, some adorable plushies, and even a pacifier. They picked stuff until their arms couldn't hold anything else, and they only could rest when Ladybug found a folded stroller over a chair.

"At this pace, if we walk two more feet we're gonna find an actual baby" Chat Noir said, leaving the toys and the cute baby clothes he was holding on the stroller for Ladybug to start pushing it.

"If I recall correctly, a certain kitty is pretty good with babies" Ladybug replied, making him smile. "I'm glad you remember" he said. "That knowledge could be very useful in the future".

Just as the last time, there was only one desk that was different from the others. It was impossible not to recognize it: it was colorful, its red and black walls decorated by dozens of pictures and drawings, its table full of pencils, notebooks and sheets of paper. But its most notorious characteristic was the huge man seated on the chair, his dark eyes shining when he caught sight of the heroes, his large beard twitching when he smiled.

"Thomas!" Ladybug and Chat Noir said, smiling brightly as they approached the man and threw their arms around his torso. Patting their heads, he laughed.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here!" Thomas said happily. "Look at you both, you've grown up so much!".

"Especially Chat Noir, he's awfully tall. We should change his name for  _Girafe Noir"_ she laughed.

"We've been with Thomas for two seconds and you're already requesting stuff? That's very rude of you,  _ant_ ".

"Shhh, stop it, you two. I didn't call you here to hear you fighting". To Ladybug's sorrow, he released them. She immediately missed his familiar warmth, it still reminded her of her dad's. "Wait, what is that?" he asked, pointing to the stroller.

"All the way here we've found tons of baby stuff, and we thought we should collect them to give them back to their owner".

"But... you're the only one here so... I guess this is yours?"

For the first time since she met him, Ladybug saw Thomas confused. "Wow. Haha. Yeah, let's say they're mine. Sorry, my mind has been elsewhere lately". Before Ladybug could ask what was he talking about, he added: "Now tell me, how has your year been?"

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other. "Umm... I mean..." he said nervously. "You know everything, right? You make the decisions".

"That's true, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it from you. I want to know your perception, that's the reason why you're here".

After thinking for a moment, Ladybug replied. "It's been... hard. Harder than ever. We've had trouble fighting some akumas, we even had to ask for help because..." _we weren't enough._ "Um. It seems like Hawk Moth is getting stronger, and I'm worried".

"Stronger, uh?" Thomas said before turning to Chat Noir. "What do you think about that?"

He frowned. "This year, Ladybug's Miraculous has been removed  _twice,_ which means Hawk Moth's akumas are more capable of getting closer to her. I want to know what's the point of exposing her like that. She ends up extremely anxious after it happens". 

Ladybug looked at him surprised by the seriousness in his voice, almost like he was expecting an explanation. "Kitty" she whispered in warning. 

Thomas didn't seem to mind. "Being a superhero is not an easy job, much less a safe one. Unfortunately, battles can't always be easy for you, you need to learn through obstacles, remember your mistakes and prevent them in the future. This applies to Hawk Moth too. He is learning just as you are, he already knows you better than he did last year. He's realizing your weak points and trying to use them against you. That's probably the difference you noticed". 

Judging by his expression, he didn't like the answer and Ladybug had an idea why. It didn't bother him the fact that Hawk Moth was improving, what bothered him was that the Miraculous that had been removed twice was hers when Thomas could have chosen to remove Chat Noir's instead. Even though it sounded weird, it made sense considering how protective Chat Noir was when it came to Ladybug. He didn't mind to get hurt as long as nobody touched her.

" _Fine_ " Chat Noir sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just try to not make her suffer so much".

Ladybug smiled, thankful that he didn't push the subject.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do" he replied. "Now, on a lighter note, I remember the requests you made me last year. Did you like your siren suits?"

"OH, YES!!!!" Chat Noir said excitedly, his previous seriousness apparently forgotten. "The design was amazing, Ladybug looked stunning! SHE EVEN WORE RED LIPSTICK. Oh, my..." he sighed, a lovestruck expression on his face. "Too much for my poor heart". 

"Stoooop!" Ladybug giggled, punching him lightly on the arm. "The suit was beautiful, Thomas. Thank you. It also was very useful".

"I'm glad you liked it" he smiled. "And have you had any allergic attack this year, Chat Noir? Have you even seen a feather lately?"

"Awww maaaaaaan, you remembered that too?" he replied, resting a hand above his heart dramatically. "I'm touched. Wait, am I allergy free or you only had mercy?".

"I had mercy".

"Dangit!".

"Honestly, what part of  _'there's no way to cure allergies'_ you didn't understand?"

"Well  _I'm sorry_  if I had faith, okay?"

"Don't worry, kitty. If there's ever another feather akuma, I'll call Rena Rouge to replace you".

Chat's mouth moved like a fish out of water. "Now I feel attacked".

Thomas laughed. "Would you be okay if I try to keep you away from feathers?"

Shrugging, he said: "I guess it works for me".

"Great. So, did you think about your requests for next year?"

"Appart from  _please_  try not to kill Ladybug and  _please_ try not to kill me with feathers, I don't want anything else" Chat Noir said thoughtfully. "Only a night of videogames with N... ehem, my best friend, would be nice. He's been spending way too much time with his girlfriend lately. Oh, and can Plagg eat less? Like... less than one wheel of cheese per hour? If my father realizes all our money is being spent to buy cheese he'll lock me in a tower".

Thomas gave him a knowing smile. Ladybug didn't understand why. "That's reasonable. What about you, Ladybug?"

"Could you please stop making Chat Noir complain about his kwami?" she tried to hide her smirk when she felt Chat's gaze over her. "I swear he complains about him in EVERY patrol. 'Plagg did this, Plagg did that'. I honestly feel the need to protect that poor creature".

"Traitor! I bet Tikki would agree with me".

"Tikki is too innocent and cute to agree with you" Ladybug said, flicking the bell on his neck.

 "Thomas, can we change kwamis?"

"I think it's a little too late for that" he laughed. "Anything else, Ladybug?"

"Um... yeah, there is something else, but... I would like to talk about it in private, if Chat Noir doesn't mind" she said, looking at his partner. Lowering her voice for only him to hear, she added: "Kitty, could you please give me some time with Thomas alone?"

"Why?" he asked, confused by her petition.

"I need to talk to him".

Chat Noir frowned. "Ladybug, if it has to do with our job, you know I don't like it when you hide information from me".

"It's not like that" she replied, not surprised at all by his reaction. She would never forget how upset he got when he discovered Ladybug knew more than he did about the Miraculouses and their Guardian. "I want to talk about personal stuff, about myself. Please".

Ladybug could see the understanding filling his expression. He was always so expressive, like an open book. She knew he'd give her space even before he confirmed that he'd do it. Because when it came to their civilian lives, they would always respect each other's privacy, no matter what.

"Okay" he said, nodding. "So..." he turned to Thomas. "I guess this is goodbye, then. Um... see you next year?"

"Of course" he smiled, shaking his hand. "Until next year".

Ladybug's eyes stayed on Chat Noir's back until his form disappeared behind the grey desks, the office so big that she couldn't get to see him leaving through the window they used to enter.

"You seem worried" she heard Thomas say. 

For a couple of seconds, she just let herself think. "Last year, one of Chat Noir's requests for you was to make me fall for him" Ladybug said, choosing her words carefully. "That day I thought he was being a flirt as always, but some months ago I discovered that he was serious".

Thomas nodded. "Yeah, I know he confessed".

"Why would you do that?" she asked, frowning. "Why would you make him fall for me when I love somebody else? Why would you make him confess just for me to reject him?"

"Can you imagine the reason?"

"Because love is not easy, right?" she crossed her arms over her chest, just like her partner did moments before. "The same reason why akumas are taking off my Miraculous. Nothing is easy".

"Yes and no" Thomas replied. "Chat Noir and you have changed a lot, I know you agree with me. You have noticed changes between the both of you, and most of them started the night he confessed. Am I wrong?"

"No".

"Before that night, you didn't think he could be sensitive, or sweet, or have actual feelings for a girl. You thought of him as a flirt and that's it. That night, your perception of him changed, Marinette, and that's what I wanted to achieve". 

"Don't you think the price was too high?" she asked, surprised at the strength in her voice. "I broke his heart. Was it worth it?"

"Just as you said, love is not easy. Love usually comes with feelings we don't like, such as pain and jealousy. It's normal, Marinette, to feel pain when we're in love. Unfortunately, I can't not make Chat Noir feel pain for you. It's part of growing up". 

Ladybug understood, but that didn't mean she liked it. She sighed sadly.

"That's why you're doing it, then".

Thomas frowned. "Doing what?"

"Making it so hard for me to be with Adrien" she replied, her head down. "I've liked him for more than a year and I still can't say a single sentence in front of him. I still can't be his friend, or ask him out. I've tried over and over again but I still  _can't_!".

"That's what you wanted to talk about?". Ladybug nodded. "Well... I think you're getting better. You do get nervous around him but it's not like you can't talk to him. Actually, you've improved a lot".

"Still. I mix my words and end up feeling so pathetic" she sighed, her legs giving up so she sat down on the floor, her arms around her knees. "Can you help me? Can you make me stop getting so nervous in front of him? Can you help me be his friend?"

For some reason, while she talked, Ladybug couldn't bring herself to look at Thomas in the eye. His gaze over her made her feel small and vulnerable, his mere presence reminding her that her future was in his hands. Was she asking too much? Was she living up to the expectations? The superhero who wasn't brave enough to talk to the boy she loved?

"Dear, of course I'll help you" Thomas said, his voice so warm that it reminded her of her dad's. "You know I do want you to be happy, right?"

Shyly, she nodded.

"And you know that relationships require time to take form, right? It won't be a fast process."

Defeated, she nodded again.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're so young, Marinette, you're just starting. Love is an adventure and you have to live every part of it, the good ones and the bad ones. That's the fun, don't you see? Wouldn't it be boring if everything was nice and easy?"

"...I guess".

"Again, you're only fourteen, dear. You have a long life ahead of you, lots of things to achieve. Maybe you've failed to ask Adrien out, but he's still there, and he won't go anywhere. You're a brave girl, just go and try again, and keep trying again and again until you get what you want. And if you don't get it, you can be proud of yourself because you tried and never gave up".

Ladybug sighed, a smile forming on her lips. Suddenly, a strong feeling of determination hit her, like a wave that filled her body from head to toe, almost making her jump in her spot. Thomas was right. Sometimes she felt bad but that was not a reason to give up. She'd keep trying. She'd try to make Adrien happy, and to make herself happy. She was young and full of energy, and she'd invest it in the person she loved the most. 

"You're right. Thank you, Thomas, I really needed to hear that" she smiled, but her smile didn't last. "I wish Chat Noir was here to hear it too".

"You certainly worry about him, uh?"

"Yeah" she admitted. "I hate to know that I hurt him".

"The difference between him and you is that he was ready to get hurt, Marinette. That's why he could confess: he knew there was a chance that you'd say no. But he did it anyway, because he was ready to accept it".  

"He was so sweet that night" Ladybug whispered, so low that Thomas couldn't hear. "I regret what happened, but I don't at the same time. What you said was true. I hurt him, but I got to know him. Since then, he's more real, and more open, and less flirty" she smiled. "We also have fought, and we've had problems, but we've been able to talk and fix them. We're more partners than ever". 

"See? The sun always comes out after the storm" he gave her a wink. 

Giggling, Ladybug stood up. "You're absolutely right" she said, giving him a hug. "Thank you so much for this. What you said to Chat, is it true? Will we see you again next year?"

"Of course you will" he replied, his big hands patting gently her back. "I'll make sure of it".

When Ladybug left, he couldn't help but stare at the spot she had been in, visualizing her there, curled into a ball, so sad and embarrassed. Thomas sighed, looking at the messy words he had just written, and then at the framed picture of a tiny baby that he recently put on his desk. 

"Would you mind if I read it?" Winny asked.

"What?"

"That thing you wrote. Today is September 1st. I know you wrote about them again".

It didn't take much time for Winny to finish reading. When he did, he whistled. "Wow".

"What does that 'wow' mean?"

"It means... wow. You truly feel guilty".

Thomas sighed, raising a hand to massage his forehead. "It doesn't make any sense, and yet..." he shook his head. "I mean, they don't exist!"

"Well... we've been deciding for years now what happens with their lives. It's normal if we feel... responsible" Winny said wisely. "I've felt the same too with, you know, the Hawk-Moth-is-Adrien's-dad part".

"We're horrible" he sighed again. 

"Why do you do this, anyway? Why don't you write something happier? It's not like somebody else is going to know about this. You can write a reveal if you want, or Adrien and Marinette kissing, or whatever. You know, fanfiction-like level of happiness".

"I do this to try to put myself in their shoes" Thomas replied, the messy words blurring before his tired eyes. "If the person I love was in danger, what would I do? If the person I love was away from me, how would I feel? I'm old, they are kids. I have to put myself in their position."

"...and comfort them. And explain to them the reason why you do what you do".

"Yeah... I guess I do that too".

This time, it was Winny's turn to sigh. Next thing he knew, one of his hands was squeezing his shoulder. "Go home early today, you look like you haven't slept in weeks".

"I haven't, there's a certain creature that doesn't let me sleep for more than two hours straight".

"Well, welcome to the wonderful world of being a father" he laughed. "It's a little bit difficult at first, but you'll get used to the new rhythm".

"I know. I have to keep trying".

**Author's Note:**

> I really don't think Thomas feels guilty for the decisions he makes, but... this is a fanfic *shrugs*
> 
> Also, if you're interested, you can find me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GodBlessSMG), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/godblesssmg/?hl=es-la), and [Wattpad](https://www.wattpad.com/user/GodBlessSMG) :)


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